Permit Requirement for Temporary Housing
The Senate Administration is introducing a permit requirement for the temporary rental of housing in social preservation areas in Berlin.
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What is the licensing requirement for temporary housing?
In April 2026, the Senate Department for Urban Development, Construction, and Housing issued new approval criteria for social preservation areas. There are currently 82 social preservation areas (also known as neighborhood preservation areas) in Berlin, where the local population is to be protected from displacement. Since furnished temporary housing accounted for 48% of all listings in 2025 and the median asking rent was €24.12 per square meter, the Senate Administration sees a need for regulation. By comparison: in 2012, the share of furnished temporary housing was 13%, and the asking rent was €14.37 per square meter. Starting April 18, a permit will be required for the temporary rental of housing in social preservation zones. In particular, commercial business models and overpriced short-term rentals that remove regular housing from the rental market are to be curbed. Fixed-term leases and temporary subleases of the residence of natural persons are subject to approval. This means that the competent authority can, in principle, approve them. The Berlin districts are responsible for this.
What are social preservation zones?
Social preservation is an urban planning tool and applies only to buildings intended for residential use, not to commercial units. In a social preservation area, a permit is required for the demolition, alteration, or change of use of buildings. Apartment renovations may not exceed an average standard of finish; so-called luxury renovations are not permitted. Additionally, in existing residential buildings with more than five apartments, a permit is required to convert rental units into condominiums. The district may also exercise a right of first refusal when houses and land are sold, provided all conditions are met. Buyers of real estate in a social preservation area must comply with the social preservation rules.
Statement by the Senator for Urban Development, Construction, and Housing
Christian Gaebler described this as an important signal for Berlin’s rental market: “The administrative regulations governing approval criteria are a key tool for ensuring a uniform, legally certain, and efficient approval process across all 82 social preservation areas. The newly amended regulations result in numerous simplifications for applicants and the districts. The regulation of temporary housing, enshrined in the administrative regulations for the first time, responds to the rapid rise in the prevalence of this business model and the associated acute threat to the composition of the resident population in the social preservation areas. This is an important signal for the Berlin rental market.”
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